


As it is Written

by plumeofthepen



Category: The Terror (TV 2018), The Terror - Dan Simmons
Genre: F/M, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Resurrection, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-11
Updated: 2020-02-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:34:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22211887
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/plumeofthepen/pseuds/plumeofthepen
Summary: Katherine entered his life two-month ago when he found himself unexpectedly resurrected, along with the rest of the officers and crews and their ships miraculously awaiting them, upon nearing England the strength of their bond is revealed.(Horrible summary I know. Tags and characters will be added to.)
Relationships: Commander James Fitzjames/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 6





	1. Chapter 1

“Can you take your clothes off?” Katherine asked as she appeared in the narrow doorway of his cabin.

“Pardon?” He asked taken-back by her request.

“Just to your waist.” She clarified “Please!”

She watched contently as she stripped off his coat followed by his waistcoat and cravat before pulling the white linen shirt over his head. Her eyes appraised his lean muscle and nearly blemish free skin as she slid off of the bed to stand behind him. That’s when her eyes focused on what she sought - her somewhat messy script was on his lower back - the same place his was on her.

He felt the brush of her fingertips on his skin and he marveled at the effect her slightest touch had on him, “Do you have a mirror handy?”

“On the basin,” he answered her a hint of suspicion in his voice as she went to fetch it and angled it towards his back when she returned with it.

“What do you see?” 

James’ eyes light up with acknowledgement, “Can I see it?” He inquired to her in regards to her own mark.

She nods as she lifts the hem of her shirt and turns to show him her back, where his neat script is written upon her slightly tanned skin as she shivers at the slight touch of his long fingers.

“Are you pleased with this?” He inquired after a moment of silence.

“Of course I am,” she assured him “It explains a lot doesn’t it.” 

* * *

“You are more cheery than usual, James!” Sir John asked suspiciously at the noticeably chipper behavior of his third.

“I’ve found her, Sir John...my soulmate.”

“Have you?”

“Yes! Katherine is my soulmate,” James’ continued “Her signature is upon my skin, and mine upon hers!”

“You’ve seen them? Have you?”

“Indeed I have, where I brushed her skin when she slipped on the quarterdeck the day prior to yesterday.”

* * *

James had been waiting in the wardroom on the _Erebus_ for Katherine’s return, his head raised at the sound of approaching footsteps and was relieved to see Katherine in the doorway bundled up in her knee length coat and denim jeans. James still wasn’t accustomed to how casual fashion had become and to the fact the women now wore trousers and showed a gretuous amount of skin.

“You know...if you remain in the service,” she paused as his gaze met her as she stood towards him and leaned against the table in front of him, “They are going to expect you to update your uniform and cut your hair.”

“I’m not going to remain in the service,” he divulged to her “I’ve had my adventure..and my circumstances have changed,” he rose from his chair to lean over her as his chocolate eyes met her jade ones as they leaned towards each other and her eyes drifted closed in anticipation of what was to come. His lips were soft yet wanton as they moved against hers as she pulled him closer.

“You are still on ship, Commander, may I remind you.” Sir John’s stern voice broke them from their shared bliss, as they suddenly parted like two teenagers that were caught in the backseat.

“Sir,” James quickly responded as she slid off of the table and straighten her coat as Sir John departed and Katherine made a motion to follow behind when her hand was caught by his “Where are you going?”

“I need to finish packing the last of my things before they were sent up on deck...and you should probably do the same,” she informed him “and I’m not going to get your in trouble any further,” he pulled her close as if to object “We have a lifetime ahead of us.” 


	2. Chapter 2

_“James…,” Katherine gasped in surprise as he lifted her onto desk by the bed in his cabin as his lips purposefully moved against hers, he suddenly pulled away as her hand sought the fastenings of his trousers._

_“No,” he breathed as his eyes met hers “Not here.”_

_“We’ll be quiet,” she insisted as she reached for him once again as their lips met once more._

“Where are the masts?” James inquired awe-struck as he stared up at the modern warship.

“She doesn’t need them...there are no sails,” Katherine responded as she attempted to hold in her amusement as she buried her face in his shoulder.

“I’m glad I amuse you,” he deadpanned as he pulled her closer “Since you know everything...what’s her top speed?”

“2O knots,” a stern voice responded from behind as he released her and spun around and found himself face-to-face with a man in the modern dark naval uniform ”Commander Fitzjames.”

“Captain,” she whispered to James and he immediately went into a salute and she snuck away.

“I do apologize, sir.” 

* * *

Katherine had nearly two-hundred messages to answer and a dozen phone calls to return. Half of them wanted to know if she was alive, and the other hand was divided between if she had contracted scurvy or if their were any prospects among the officers. 

She was toiling away with a contraption in her hands where he finally located her in a coffee shop and took a seat across the table from her, her eyes were full of determination.

_“I know of your origins…,” she resolutely told him one eventing in the wardroom and the look he gave her in response was a mixof shame and anger “there’s nothing to be ashamed of...not anymore.”_

_“Katherine...How do you know?”_

_“When you’ve been dead so long, there are no secrets,” she paused before wincing “I read a book about you.”_

_“A biography? By Whom?”_

_“Are you going to read your own biography, James?” Crozier’s Irish-bur interjected much to James’ disdain as he shot daggers at the older Captain as he seated himself across the table._

“I found a place to stay,” she informed him as she met his curious gaze “The Navy will make sure all of you are taken care of.”

“Katherine?”

“I’ve been taking care of myself for a long-time...I’ll be fine, James,” she reassured him “The Royal Navy doesn’t care about soulmates...did you enjoy your tour?”

“Yes, I did...very much so,” he responded deciding to go along with her change of subject “These modern warships…” he was cut off mid sentence by the sensation of her soft lips against his and they parted briefly to the amusement of the other patrons as they exited the shop the shop arm-in-arm as they stumbled passed an amused Crozier and Thomas Blanky.

“James?” Crozier questioner at the young-man’s careless expression “Miss Mathews?”

“Francis!” James’ responded in surprise as they spun around to face the two men they found themselves in the company of.

“I wasn’t aware you two were a couple?”

“Sir John didn’t want it to be overtly known,” James replied “We are more than just a couple, Francis.” 

“Soulmates,” Blanky responded as it occurred to him and the look the couple gave him in response confirmed it

“I’m happy for the both of you,” Crozier responded with a nod as did the other man “We expect an invitation to the wedding!”

“Thank you,” the couple said nearly in unison as they parted ways and it wasn’t long after that her phone chimed.

“It’s my grandfather,” she responded as she fetched the device from her pocket and James nodded for her to answer it. She made a guarantee of promising to return to Boston soon, and about how she had found her soulmate and her grandfather insisted that she bring him along so that they could talk navy and ships!

He caught her looking suspiciously in his direction “What is it?”

“This,” she said motioning her hand up and down his body “we need to do something about this…”

“I thought you approved?”

“I do...however you need something more...casual!”

* * *

Katherine woke the next morning wrapped in James’ warm embrace as he mumbled “Good morning” into her neck as she rolled over to place a tender knowing kiss upon his lips which quickly grew to something else when he pulled her closer as the fire grew between them once again.

“James,” she gasped as she reluctantly broke the kiss as his lips still lingered on hers.

“I love you,” he mumbled when they finally parted “Katherine, I…”

“I love you too,” she reciprocated as their lips met once again. Soulmates didn’t always equivacate romantic love, sometimes it just meant a strong understanding kinship.

Their emissions of love was interrupted my the chime of her phone “I thought you took care of all of those?” 

“It doesn’t mean I can’t get new ones,” she parted with him as he rolled over to fetch the device and managed to nearly rip the charger out of the wall.

“James, don’t ruin it...I need it!” She teased in dismay.

“Like I ruined you…”

“You didn’t ruin me, you made me whole.” She retorted placing a passionate kiss on his lips as her hand snaked the phone from his grasp and by the time he realized it she sat up in laughed in triumphant.

“It’s from Claire!” 

“Your best friend.”

“You paid attention…”

“Of course I did...I wanted to learn as much as I could about you...since you already knew everything about me,” her phone chimed again “Another one?”

Katherine wrinkled her brow at the new message, “it’s from one of my cousins...it’s mildly offensive.”

“How so?” He asked sitting up in bed, gesturing for her to hand the device to him and she reluctantly handed it over ”They’re not invited to our wedding,” he deadpanned as he handed it back to he

“Wedding? We’ve known each other for two months!”

“We’re destined for the altar, my love,” he said pretending to ignore the scathing look he was receiving.

“It doesn’t mean immediate marriage, James.”


	3. Chapter 3

“We are  _ all _ expected at tomorrow’s service,” Sir John informed those at the table with him, making a point of emphasis as he looked towards James.

“Katherine will be in attendance,” the Commander assured his superior.

“She has no obligation to attend,” Crozier defended.

“She’s tied to James,” Sir John countered “It would be good in principal...The Queen will be in attendance.”

——

“What kind of God, takes both of your parents on the same day!” Katherine yelled as James looked on in surprise, he thought it would have gone munch better than it has “I was six, James.  _ Six _ !” 

“Katherine, you’ve told me that relationships are about compromise,” his arms encircled her waist as he pulled her close “Please, for me...as soon as service is over we’ll depart.” 

“You’re going to give up your chance to rub elbows with royalty...to be able to tell another story,” her voice was bitter with resentment as the sheer lack of respect she was given “Unlike you, I have no obligation…”

“Katherine, please!”

“Soulmate means nothing without respect.”

“I have never disrespected you.”

“You are right now...the fact that you keep asking,” she spat “You may be from an era where a woman must obey but I am not!”

“Francis defended you.”

“Francis defended me?” She retorted “But you didn’t?”

That afternoon the train ride to London was in silence, as Katherine’s gaze never left the window as the English countryside zipped by as the droplets of rain dripped down the window.

“I should have defended you,” he admitted and she swore she had never heard his voice so sorrowful “If you want to leave...I’ll completely understand.”

“I spoke to Claire,” he responded 

“Did you tell her how horrible I am?”

“No,” Katherine responded as she turned her gaze to the man sitting across from her “She’ll be arriving in London tomorrow...she’s staying with us.”

“Of course, she’s your closest friend.


End file.
